Coaches / Dugouts / Equipment

  1. A team shall be limited to Three (3) Coaches and one bat boy/girl inside the fence.
  2. While on offense, only two coaches may be outside of the dugout fence and in the coaching boxes.
  3. While on offense, only the batter and the on deck batter shall be outside of the dugout fence. The on deck batter shall stay within the vicinity of his dugout gate. Players are not permitted to warm up in the opposing teams on deck circle.
  4. While on defense, only one coach shall be allowed to stand on the top step of the dug out in the gate.
  5. A bat boy/girl may leave the dugout fence to retrieve a bat after all playing action is completed. All bat boys/girls must have a helmet with two ear flaps.
  6. All batters must wear full service helmets with two ear flaps.
  7. All equipment shall remain inside the dugout fence.
  8. Catchers shall be required to wear helmets that protect both ears and the back of the head. Skull caps are not permitted.
  9. A player participating in the game shall not wear jewelry.
  10. The umpire shall ask the player to remove the jewelry. Play shall not continue until the jewelry is removed or the player is replaced. This is not an ejection.
  11. Medical alert bracelets or necklaces are not considered jewelry. If worn, they must be taped to the body so as to remain visible.
  12. Shoes with metal cleats may not be worn by players who are playing as 12 year olds or younger.
  13. The use of cell phones shall not be permitted inside of the fence by players, non players or umpires.
2. Courtesy Runner
  1. At any time, the team at bat may use courtesy runners for both the pitcher and/or catcher.
  2. The same runner may not be used for both positions in the same inning.
  3. The courtesy runner(s) will be:
    • A player not in the batting order.
    • The last out (not necessarily the last batted out) if all players are batting.
  4. A courtesy runner is mandatory for the catcher with two outs and optional before.
  5. A courtesy runner may be used for incoming pitcher and catcher (but not for both existing and incoming in the same half inning).
3. Intentional Base on Balls
  1. An intentional base on balls may be given by the defensive team by having its catcher or coach request the umpire to award the batter first base.
  2. This may be done before pitching to the batter or on any ball and strike count.
  3. The ball shall be declared dead before making the award.
4. Time Limit
  1. Time limit for ages eight and under, one hour and ten minutes.
  2. Time limit for ages nine thru twelve, one hour and forty minutes.
  3. Time limit for ages thirteen thru eighteen, one hour and forty minutes.
  4. Innings that start within the time limit will be completed.
  5. If the teams are ready and want to start early, the time will start on the catcher’s throw down. If the game is starting late, the clock will start on the umpire’s announcement of start at the completion of the pre-game conference.
  6. If a game is tied after the regulation number of innings and time still remains, the game will continue one extra inning to determine a winner. If the game is stilled tied after the one extra inning, the game ends in a tie, even if additional time remains.
  7. An inning is deemed to begin at the moment the third out is made in the previous inning.
  8. The umpires are the sole judge of time.
  9. In games where the winner advances time limits and run rules apply. If a game is tied at the completion of time limit and/or regulation innings, the game will continue until a winner is determined.
  10. For championship games run rules are applicable, time limit will be two hours. A winner will be determined.
5. Protests
  1. If a team protests, they must notify the home plate umpire and the umpire will beckon the tournament director to the field to address the protest. Time limit adjustments will be at the descrition of the tournament director.
6. Game Length
  1. Game lengths shall be as follows:
    • Up to and including 12 year olds, 6 innings
    • 13 year old up to and including 18 year olds, 7 innings
  2. If a game is called due to weather or other hazardous conditions, it is an official game, if 3 and one half or 4 innings have been completed.
  3. Suspended games
    • All games stopped by an umpire for weather or other reasons before the game is declared official shall be a suspended game.

    The Tournament director shall determine if the game is to be complete or suspended.

 

NOTE: The tournament director will determine the final result and/or schedule the completion of suspended games at his discretion.

7. Run Rules
  1. All games played shall be played with a run rule in effect.
  2. A game will be over if the visiting team is losing by fifteen runs after two and one half innings, ten runs after three and one half innings, or the home team is losing by fifteen runs after three innings, or ten runs after four innings of play.
  3. A game will be over if the visiting team is losing by eight runs after four and one half innings, or the home team is losing by eight runs after five innings of play.
  4. If a division has a limit on runs scored per time at bat, mathematical elimination will apply. (in non elimination games If the home team is mathematically eliminated in the top of the fifth or sixth inning the home team must bat in the bottom half of that inning. All runs count)
8. Substitutions
  1. A team may bat nine, ten or the entire roster.
  2. If a team is batting ten or the entire roster, there is free substitution on defense with the players in the batting order, except for the pitcher.
  3. If a team is batting nine, any of the starters may be withdrawn and re-entered one time, including a player who is the designated hitter, provided such player occupies the same batting position whenever he is in the batting order.
  4. A pitcher may become a pitcher two times per inning, providing the pitcher is removed from the pitching position on the first visit in an inning, and re-entry rules are not violated.
9. Designated Hitter
  1. A hitter may be (not mandatory) designated for any one starting player and all subsequent substitutes for that player. Designated hitter is not applicable for 14 year old and younger games
  2. A starting defensive player must be listed in the same batting order spot as the designated hitter in the starting lineup.
  3. Failure to declare a designated hitter prior to the game precludes the use of the designated hitter during the game.
  4. The role of designated hitter is terminated for the remainder of the game when:
    • The defensive player or any previous defensive player, for whom the designated is batting, subsequently bats, pinch-hits or pinch-runs for the designated hitter.
    • The designated hitter or any previous designated hitter assumes a defensive position.
10. Roster Batting
  1. If a team is batting nine, ten or the entire roster, and a member is unable to continue due to injury or illness, the team will not be penalized, when it is the missing player’s turn to bat.
  2. A team may start the game with less than 9 players (a minimum of 8)
  3. There will be no penalty for not having 9 players in the batting order to start the game.
  4. When the ninth player arrives at the game, he will be added to the end of the batting order. The team starting with eight players shall immediately notify the umpire and the other team as soon as the ninth player arrives.
  5. A team that starts with less than nine will not be allowed to roster bat.
  6. If a team is roster batting and starts the game with at least nine and a new player arrives before the entire lineup has batted, he may be added to the end of the batting order.
  7. If a player arrives after the entire order has batted one time, he may be used as a substitute.
  8. If roster batting, any time the batting order is reduced by an ejection, an automatic out shall be declared in that batting order position.
  9. If batting 9 and the team drops below 9 eligible players due to an ejection, an automatic out shall be declared in that batting order position.
11. Batters Box
  1. The batter must keep at least one foot in the batter’s box throughout the time at bat.
  2. Exceptions:
    • The batter swings at the pitch
    • The batter is forced out of the box by the pitch
    • The batter attempts a drag bunt
    • The pitcher or catcher fakes or attempts a play at any base.
    • The pitcher leaves the dirt area of the pitching mound
    • The umpire calls time
    • The catcher does not catch a pitched ball
  3. If the batter leaves the box and one of the above exceptions does not apply, the umpire may call an automatic strike if he determines leaving the box delayed the game.
  4. Reminder: The box is defined in the rule book, even if it is not marked on the field and batters box restrictions apply.
12. Steal of Home
  1. If the runner from third is running toward home in attempting to steal or participating in a squeeze play, the following apply:
    • The batter must take the pitch or attempt to bunt.
    • Failure to do so will result in the following:
      • the batter being called out
      • all runners retuning to the base occupied at the time of the pitch
      • the third base coach shall be ejected
  2. With bases loaded 2 outs and 3 balls and 2 strikes on the batter, the runner from third base shall not run hard to the plate.
13. Slide Rule
  1. A legal slide can be either feet first or head first. If a runner slides feet first, at least one leg and buttock shall be on the ground.
  2. If a runner slides he must slide within reach of the base with either a hand or a foot without going past the base.
  3. On a force play if the runner slides, it must be on the ground in a direct line between the two bases, stopping at the base The runner may slide or run in a direction away from the fielder to avoid making contact or altering the play of the fielder.
  4. No player shall initiate malicious contact. The question of what is malicious is umpire judgment.
  5. On a force play an illegal slide causes both the runner and the batter-runner to be called out and all other runners to return to the base occupied at the time of the pitch.
  6. Malicious contact by the offense a dead ball, an out the runner shall be ejected.
  7. Runners are never required to slide, but if a runner elects to slide the slide must be legal.
  8. To prevent contact, if the fielder has the ball or his receiving of the ball is immanent the runner has the following choices:
    • Slide
    • Go back
    • Go around
    • Give up
  9. If contact results due to the runner failing to do one of the above, the runner shall be declared out.
  10. If a defensive player is obstructing the runner (judgment call by the umpire), contact by the runner is not illegal unless malicious.
  11. A defensive player whom the umpire judges to have committed malicious contact shall be ejected and obstruction rules shall be enforced.
14. Pitching Limits For all ages Texas Invatational 30 outs
  1. For ages 9 through 12 a pitcher may not pitch more than 18 outs in any given day.
  2. For ages 13 and 14 a pitcher may not pitch more than 21 outs in a given day.
  3. A pitcher shall be limited to 27 outs during the tournament.
  4. For the tournament a pitcher shall be allowed 30 outs for the tournament.
15. Coach Pitch
  1. Each batter will be allowed six pitches, unless he hits a foul ball on the sixth pitch. He will be allowed to continue batting until he does not hit a foul ball.
  2. Tournament play allows 10 defensive players for all ages.
  3. A fair ball hitting a coach pitcher will be declared a foul ball.
  4. Ball is dead when returned to the infield and in the umpires judgment play has stopped.
  5. The umpire shall determine the position or the runners when the ball becomes dead.
  6. A team will be restricted to scoring 5 runs per time at bat.
  7. There shall be a player pitcher who shall be stationed within 10 feet of and behind the rubber at the time of the pitch.
  8. The catcher shall be located in the catcher’s box, no more than 8 feet behind home plate.
  9. All 8 year old and younger games will require roster batting.
  10. There will be no:
    • Base on balls
    • Base awards for batter hit by a pitch
    • Infield fly
    • Stealing
    • Courtesy runner for the pitcher
  11. Runners may not leave the base until the pitched ball reaches home plate. A runner who leaves early will be declared out. The pitch will be called a no pitch.
16. General Information
  1. Home team for all seeding games will be determined by a coin toss. Coaches shall determine home team before the umpires arrive at the field. For advancement games the home team will be the higher seeded team.
  2. All teams will be seeded one through ??? based on the following criteria:
    1. win/loss record.
    2. total runs allowed.
    3. Run differential. (runs scored minus runs allowed, maximum of 8)
    4. Coin toss by tournament official. (Head to head will be 2, if and only if all teams with the same record have played one another
17. Appeals

The defensive team may appeal during a live ball immediately after the play and before a pitch, granting an intentional base on balls, or before the next play or attempted play. If the offense initiates a play before the next pitch, the defense does not lose the opportunity to appeal. A live ball appeal may be made by a defensive player with the ball in his possession by touching the runner or the base the runner missed or left early, an telling an umpire what runner and which base is being appealed. A dead ball appeal may be made by a coach or defensive player with or without the ball by telling an umpire which runner and base he felt was missed or left base early. Appeals must be made (1) before the next pitch; (2) at the end of an inning, before the pitcher and all infielders have left fair territory; (3) before an intentional base on balls is granted; or (4) on the last play of the game, until the umpires leave the fenced area. Multiple appeals are allowed providing they do not, in the umpire’s judgment, make a travesty of the game.

18. Trips

Between innings a coach may talk to a pitcher who is warming up. If in the judgment of the umpire the coach delays the resumption of play he will be charged with a trip. A coach may also talk to a replacement pitcher during warm ups. A delay will result in a trip.


 

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